Overview
- Nagarjuna Akkineni returns as host to front the grand launch and the new season.
- The premiere is scheduled for Sunday, September 7 at 7 PM IST with live streaming for JioHotstar subscribers and a telecast on Star Maa.
- Season 9 adopts a two-house structure that separates celebrities and non-celebrities to refresh gameplay.
- The Agnipariksha qualifier, hosted by Sreemukhi, put 45 hopefuls through physical and mental tasks judged by Bindu Madhavi, Navdeep and Abijeet.
- Fifteen commoners advanced from Agnipariksha — Manish, Priya, Anusha, Srija, Pawan, Prasanna, Shreya, Shakib, Swetha, Naga, Kalki, Pavan Kalyan, Harish, Divya and Dahlia — to vie for entry alongside celebrity contestants.